Bee-luther-hatchee

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Hoax or major insult? Hoax or reversed discrimination? Hoax or undaunted embarrassment? Thomas Gibbons’ play Bee-luther-hatchee currently taking the stage at the Bug Theatre produced by Modern Muse Theatre Company takes one through a complicated web of mixed intentions.

LSean Leonard (Mark Rubald) listens as Libby (Denielle Fisher) and Robert (Daniel Langhoff) argue about racism and “living the truth” in Modern Muse Theatre Company’s regional premiere of Bee-luther-hatchee. Photo by Gabriella Cavallero

Directed by Stephen Lavezza, with a sterling cast, Bee-luther-hatchee in its regional premiere, commands attention, intriguing questions and a concept that can be argued sideways and upside down. Quite frankly, it’s a masterful production.

A splendid set designed by Kourtney Lampedecchio allows the play to move smoothly through time and space without question as to where, how, or why.

With the use of silhouettes, shadows, soft spots, and stark emphasis, the lighting designed by Kimber Avra underscores beautifully the inside intention of Bee-luther-hatchee.

A bright spot picks up Shelita Burns, (Jada Roberts) in an award ceremony holding the Hayward Award for Libby Price’s best selling book Bee-luther-hatchee. Libby couldn’t be there. As editor of a small black publishing company, Shelita took a risk and published the book. She’s never met Libby. She’s never talked with her on the phone. Libby, 72, lives in a nursing home in Charlotte, North Carolina. She begged her way out of public appearances. After all, thought Shelita, she’s 72 and lives in a nursing home. The book and its wisdom grabbed Shelita. The book fed her courage and dignity through the black wisdom and experiences described.

Young, ambitious, bright, publishing material by black authors drives Shelita with explosive, energetic passion. Now she has an award winning bestseller to her credit.

Roberts grabs hold of Shelita in personality, character, and soul and shakes her for all she is worth. Her performance breath taking.

On the upper side of stage left, Libby Price, (Denielle Fisher), dressed plainly and simply reflects in a far away voice “I’m a traveler. I’ve been all over. I’m a drifter, always have been, always will be.” The light dims. Libby disappears. Appearing frequently in her corner of the world far away in time and space from Shelita, in more ways than one.

Gabriella Cavallero’s costume design separates the two distinct lifestyles between Shelita and Libby who live in two very different worlds. Roberts and Fisher feed two very different firecracker energies into their characters. Shelita stands in the midst of Corporate America with its never-ending high expectations and demands to succeed. Libby stands in the midst of her own universe carved for herself. In juxtaposition to each other, fire burns in both souls. Shelita’s crackles with explosive hyper drive sparked from an uncertain confusing childhood. Libby’s fire burns just as bright in a thoughtful slowed down pace that also sparks from an uncertain, confusing childhood. So very different; so much the same. It is little wonder Shelita finds solace, comfort, and inspiration from Libby.

Of course, Shelita wants to meet her. Libby’s book feeds her. Libby asked the trophy be sent to the nursing home. Here lies Shelita’s chance. She’ll take it to her, have opportunity to sit and talk with her, let her know how deeply meaningful the book has been to her.

Meanwhile a reporter Brian Clark, (Daniel Langhoff), interviews Shelita. He too wants to meet Libby Price. He even wants to go with Shelita to the nursing home as part of the story. Shelita denies him an invitation and information.

Denise Perry Olson plays Anna, Shelita’s best friend. Anna is a cushioned listener for Shelita to bounce ideas, secrets, thoughts, and questions off. Perry gives Anna a deep cushioned sense of security and support, and Anna in turn gives it to Shelita.

At the nursing home, Shelita runs into a shock wave from which she will never recover. Sister Margaret, also wonderfully played by Olson, concludes Shelita must be there to check up on them. Wrong. She’s there to see Libby Price. No Libby Price lives there.

Because of the book, because of its success, Shelita has been offered a job at a large publishing company. She has the book. No author.

The mystery of Libby Price consumes her as she internalizes the significance of her findings. Anna spurs her on with questions and support. Calling Brian, she tells him the interview went quite well. How could she tell him she couldn’t find the author? His article, ready to be printed, will reflect her enthusiastic comments.

One more letter to Libby. One more trip to Charlotte, hoping to meet Libby in a hotel lobby. Doubts, questions flood Shelita with compulsion. Her success, self-esteem, and purpose get caught in the net of the allusive Libby.

Libby appears on the opposite side of the stage, “I am a drifter. I always have been, always will be. I can’t stay in one place too long. When people stop seeing me, it is time to move on. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up in Bee-luther-hatcheeÉIt’s the next stop after Hell.”

In a hotel room, torn to shreds, Shelita calls Anna. Libby never showed, at least she thinks Libby never showed. Angered with confusion she wonders why this highly successful author, this author who has meant so much to her and so many others, won’t see her.

An unexpected loud knock at the door rattles her into fear when she finds a white man standing there announcing he is Libby Price. Frightened she threatens him.

In all actuality, he is Sean Leonard wondrously played by Mark Rubald.

Electrical currents race from actors through the characters meeting in the middle with the snap of the lighting and sound, designed by Gabriella Cavallero.

Through the inter-play of space and time, Sean takes Shelita back to when he was ten years old living with his father, Robert (Langhoff) and the meeting and connection with Libby. Yes, he wrote the book using Libby’s name. He had good reason, and yes, there is a real Libby Price.

Shelita screams hoax. Sean nails her with her lie to Brian Clark. Shelita has to scream hoax. Her black pride refuses to allow her to admit a white man can internalize perceptive perception, and wisdom, of a simple Southern Black woman who is a “drifter and always will be.”

Technically, his book is a hoax. He wrote the book as though he were a black woman. He had reason. There is more to the turmoiled upset than initially meets the eye. Authors write under pen names all of the time for the exact same reason Sean did, as well as for a variety of other reasons. A fine line exists between honest representation and a down right definite hoax. Who’s being honest Shelita or Sean? That’s the question designed to rattle the brain for quite some time.

When the play unexpectedly ends, there is the immediate reaction of “oh, no. It can’t just end this way”. Yes it can, and yes it does. Rubald through Sean displays a tragic result that grabs the heart.

Gibbons provided a beautifully written script digging deep into the human psyche raising legalistic and moral questions, with answers that fall comfortably on both sides of the fence. In light of the many literary hoaxes that have cropped up over the last few years, Modern Muse’s timing with its magnificent production marks it high on the Do Not Miss list.